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LESSON 2
RESPONSIBILITIES
OVERVIEW
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
This lesson discusses the environmental leadership responsibilities required to accomplish the mission within a unit.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
ACTION: |
You will describe the basic environmental management responsibilities that apply to your work areas and assigned duties. |
CONDITION: |
You will be given all material contained in this lesson. You will work at your own pace and in your own selected environment with no supervision. |
STANDARD: |
You will correctly answer questions on the practice exercise at the end of the lesson. |
REFERENCES: |
The material contained in this lesson was derived from AR 200-1, AR 200-2, FM 5-0 (FM 101-5), TC 3-34.489, and TVT 5-56P2. |
INTRODUCTION
Commanders, staffs, subordinate leaders, and soldiers must become environmental stewards by understanding their individual duties and responsibilities for environmental protection. To practice stewardship, US military personnel and Department of the Army (DA) civilians must understand the basic environmental management responsibilities that apply to their work area or assigned duties.
2-1. Unit Responsibilities. Installation regulations or operational directives, such as operation plans (OPLANs), operation orders (OPORDs) or contingency plans (CONPLANs) generally define a unit's environmental program. Standing operating procedures (SOPs) usually establish a unit's environmental installation and operational requirements into daily routines. Unit-level environmental management always includes guidance for commanders, staffs, subordinate leaders, and soldiers.
a. Commanders. Commanders' role in environmental stewardship centers on instilling an environmental ethic in soldiers and civilians under their control. Commanders train their subordinate leaders on stewardship, counsel them on doing what is right, lead by example, and enforce compliance with laws and regulations.
b. Unit Staffs. Unit staffs have inherent responsibilities within their areas of expertise that require environmental actions. While addressing environmental issues may depend on the command or commander, staffs incorporate environmental concerns into unit SOPs and outline the responsibilities of the units Army environmental compliance officer (ECO). The unit staff also integrates environmental considerations into the planning and execution processes, particularly in their areas of expertise. Common staff duties provide the basis for some environmental responsibilities, while FM 5-0 (FM 101-5) provides a basis for others.
c. Environmental Compliance Officer (ECO). The key proponent who fulfills environmental requirements successfully at the unit level is the ECO. AR 200-1 directs all Army unit commanders to "appoint and train ECOs at appropriate levels to ensure that compliance actions take place."
(1) The ECO manages environmental issues at the unit level and ensures environmental compliance. The ECO also coordinates through the respective chain of command with the supporting installation environmental staff to clarify requirements and obtain assistance.
(2) The ECO accomplishes environmental compliance requirements on behalf of the commander. While the ECO does not hold a formal staff position, the ECO is critical to the commander's environmental program. The ECO—
Advises the unit on environmental compliance during training, operations, and logistics functions.
Serves as the commander's eyes and ears for environmental matters.
Manages information concerning the unit's environmental training and certification requirements.
Performs unit environmental self-assessment inspections.
Performs environmental-risk assessments.
d. Subordinate Leaders. All leaders must build an environmental ethic in their soldiers by training and counseling subordinates on environmental stewardship, leading by example, and enforcing compliance with laws and regulations. Leaders—
Communicate the Army environmental ethic to soldiers, while training them to be good environmental stewards.
Develop and sustain a positive and proactive commitment to environmental protection.
Identify environmental risks associated with individual, collective, and mission-essential task list (METL) task performance.
Plan and conduct environmentally sustainable actions and training.
Protect the environment during training and other activities.
Analyze the influence of environmental factors on mission accomplishment.
Integrate environmental considerations into unit activities.
Train peers and subordinates to identify the environmental effects of plans, actions, and missions.
Counsel soldiers on the importance of protecting the environment and the possible consequences of not complying with environmental laws and regulations.
Ensure that soldiers are familiar with the unit SOPs, and supervise their compliance with laws and regulations.
Incorporate environmental considerations into after-action reports (AARs).
Understand the link between environmental considerations and their associated impact on safety, force protection, and force health protection.
e. Soldiers. Soldiers have the inherent professional and personal responsibility to understand and support their service's environmental program. They—
Comply with environmental requirements in unit and installation SOPs.
Maintain environmental awareness throughout daily activities.
Provide recommendations to the chain of command on techniques to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Identify the environmental risks associated with individual and team tasks.
Support recycling programs.
Report hazardous-material (HM) and HW spills immediately.
Make sound environmental decisions based on guidance from the chain of command, training, and personal concepts of right and wrong.
2-2. Summary. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is critical to the future availability of environmental and training resources. The Army must comply with all environmental laws, regulations, and policies and commanders' guidance applying to installations. Considering the environmental effects of training, operations, and logistics activities reduces environmental damage and costs. Commanders, staffs, subordinate leaders, and soldiers must understand their individual duties and responsibilities for environmental protection and become environmental stewards. They must also understand the links between environmental considerations and their impact on safety, force protection, and force health protection.
